Chapter 47

The biting New York wind whipped at my cape, even at the ridiculously high altitude I was cruising at. The Empire State Building gleamed in the distance, a beacon for our superhero summit. It was Friday, the day I'd been dreading and anticipating in equal measure. The Top Ten meeting. A gathering of the world's most powerful heroes, a group I somehow found myself a part of.

It was strange, still, to think of myself this way. I wasn't Clark Kent anymore, not really. One day, I was saving Metropolis, the next, I was Anos Midoriya, older brother to Izuku, son of Inko and Hizashi. I still had the powers, the Superman powers, as they called them. But the life... the life was different. More complicated.

I landed softly on the building's designated rooftop platform. The familiar faces were already there. Hulk grunted a greeting, Supergirl shot me a curt nod (she still wasn't used to me), Flash gave a lightning-fast wave, Spider-Man clapped me on the shoulder. There was Iron Man, ever the showman, Captain America, radiating an aura of quiet authority, Thor, booming a cheerful hello, Wonder Woman, calm and regal, and Black Widow, ever watchful.

Inside, the conference room was all polished wood and panoramic views. We took our places around the massive round table, the sheer power in the room almost tangible. Wonder Woman started, her voice resonating with authority as assistants poured coffee and distributed the meeting accoutrements - notebooks, pens, and sleek tablets.

The briefing was grim. People were disappearing. Heroes, civilians – snatched away, vanished without a trace. Thirty already gone, scattered across…other worlds? It sounded like something out of a comic book, only this was real. This wasn't some lone wolf villain with a dimensional portal; this was an organized force, a hostile army preparing invasion. My jaw tightened. This was bigger than anything I'd faced since... well, since Doomsday.

The room buzzed with theories and proposed solutions. Flash, ever eager, suggested a global speed-scouting mission. Spider-Man wisely shot that down. "Too risky, Flash. We don't know what they're looking for, who they're targeting. Running around willy-nilly just makes you a bigger target."

I nodded in agreement. Information was key. We needed to know where these disappearances were happening, who was being taken, and, most importantly, why.

Silence fell, heavy with thought. The weight of the world, or rather, multiple worlds, rested on our shoulders.

Wonder Woman called for a break. The air crackled with tension as we scattered. I found Peter, in the building's small cafe.

"So," Peter said, swirling the straw in his coffee, "dimension-hopping villains. You ever see anything like this back in your…other universe?"

I chuckled humorlessly. "You have no idea, Pete. But this feels different. More organized, more…sinister."

My phone buzzed. It was Momo, my girlfriend. I stepped out of the cafe, a smile spreading across my face.

"Hey, Momo. What's up?"

Her voice was bright, bubbling with excitement. "Anos! Guess what? I made the cheerleading team!"

I laughed, genuinely pleased for her. "That's fantastic, Momo! I knew you could do it. When's your first practice?"

We chatted for a few minutes about pom-poms and routines. The normality of it was a balm to my frayed nerves. Momo knew I was a hero, but not this. Not the whole Superman-reincarnated-in-Japan deal. And frankly, I wanted to keep it that way. The less she knew about the cosmic-level crazy I was involved in, the safer she'd be.

"I gotta go, Momo. Long day. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay, Anos! Be careful!"

"Always am," I replied, hanging up. I took in a breath and closed my eyes before heading back to the meeting.

When I returned, the sound of shouting filled the hallway. Supergirl and Flash were at it again. This was the sixth time this week they'd locked horns. I was about to intervene when Black Widow simply grabbed them both by the scruff of their necks and shoved them into a nearby supply closet.

"You two aren't coming out until you sort this out!" she snapped, slamming the door shut. A muffled protest was cut short as she locked the door.

We returned to the conference room, the mood slightly lighter despite the gravity of the situation. Hours melted, the debate raged on, and the solution was to gather intel and then regroup in a few weeks or couple of months.

Peter picked the lock on the supply closet and they came out looking disheveled. But their argument was no more at the cost of them making out now. Intensely. The room went silent, except for the snap of Iron Man's phone camera. Laughter erupted, relieving the tension. Even Wonder Woman cracked a smile.

Finally, around 4 AM, we adjourned. Exhausted but with a semblance of a plan. I flew home to Musutafu, the sky turning a pale pre-dawn gray. Landing quietly on the balcony, I slipped inside. The house was dark and silent. Mom and Dad were fast asleep, and Izuku, no doubt, was dreaming of All Might.

I stripped off my suit, the familiar blue and red a comforting sight. The world was facing a crisis, a threat unlike any I'd seen before. But I wasn't alone. I had allies, friends. Peter, Diamond, and my new ones here. And I had a family to protect. I showered, the hot water washing away the grime and the stress, and crawled into bed.

As I drifted off to sleep, I thought of Momo. Her smile, her unwavering optimism. She was a light in the darkness, a reason to fight. I would protect her, protect them all, and hold back the darkness, even if it meant risking everything. Because that was what Superman did, always. And that's what Anos Midoriya would do, too.